1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a fastening assembly and, more particularly, to a fastening assembly co-molded with a foam article.
2. Description of Related Art
The conventional hook-and-loop fastener was invented by George de Mestral, a Swiss engineer, under the inspiration of burrs. The hook-and-loop fastener consists of a hook side woven with tiny hooks and a loop side covered with even smaller and finer loop-like fastening structures. When the hook side and the loop side are pressed together, the hooks on the hook side are caught in the loop-like fastening structures on the loop side so that the two sides are fastened together.
In recent years, the hook-and-loop fastener, which is easily assembled and detached, is often coupled and used with other articles. When a hook-and-loop fastener is applied to a foam article such as a seat cushion, a buffer pad, and so on, the hook-and-loop fastener is bonded to the foam article with the hooks of the hook-and-loop fastener facing outward so as to fasten with another article having a corresponding loop side. Typically, a seat cushion with a hook-and-loop fastener is manufactured by placing the hook-and-loop fastener at a predetermined location in a mold and introducing a foam material into the mold. The foam material is co-molded with the hook-and-loop fastener and, when completely set, takes on the shape defined by the mold.
However, while the foam material expands, the expanding foam material tends to cover the hooks of the hook-and-loop fastener so that, after the foaming process is completed, the hooks of the hook-and-loop fastener of the final product cannot fasten with corresponding fastening structures. In other words, the final product is defective and results in waste of production cost. To overcome the aforesaid drawback, it was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,540 to equip the hook-and-loop fastener with flexible sealing portions for preventing the foam material from entering in between the hooks during the foaming process. Nevertheless, the hook-and-loop fastener protected by the above-cited patent must be used with a special mold. If the hook-and-loop fastener is placed merely on a planar surface of an ordinary mold without the dedicated trough for receiving the hook-and-loop fastener, the sealing portions provide no protection to the hooks.